Have we been here before? The long and the short of it is "YES". But this is not, as most pundits claim, the same as WORLD CUP 2012; instead we are exactly in the same boat as EURO 04 in Portugal. In those championships, we had a very promising team, full of talents and promise. Yet with lacklustre performances and a complete disregard of passion and intensity we were knocked out as Denmark and Sweden conveniently engineered a 2-2 result in the third and final group match. It didn't matter we went undefeated in the tournament; not on that day. Conservative tactics had lost us the day; dare we venture forward and crush teams with our mighty blue first - never - for this is not how we play.
We have this belief in the Italian camp. I'm not sure where it originated or who dreamed up this mindset; but traditionally we play "down" to our opponents skill sets; instead of consistently playing to our strengths. We fabricate game plans and formations in response to what our opponent is doing, rather than allowing our opponents to leave their comfort zone and adapt to our mindset. We're reactive instead of proactive. This has been our one continued Achilles heel. From our 1994 WORLD CUP TEAM through to the Championship team of 2006 - nothing has changed in this department. In fact the only Azzurri team to not go into a game with this mindset should have been crowned WORLD CHAMPIONS in 1990 - had it not been for a semi-final against Argentina.
From 2006 to today though; this sense of reactionary thinking has been increased significantly. From the day Donadoni took over as manager in 2006 following a WORLD CUP triumph; a spiral downward began. This spiral could be attributed to aging talent on the squad; the retirement of Totti and Nesta from the national outfit. But rather, I would accredit the downturn of the last six years to three variables 1. The Lack of Experience 2. Really Arrogant Decisions 3. The Lack of Imagination. Do you know which managers each of these three characteristics fall under?
Prandelli was brought in following a disastrous WORLD CUP by the senile Marcello Lippi. He was charged with reinvigorating the Azzurri; bringing life back to them. He promised a transition from this reactionary mentality of the past to a proactive approach to the game. He promised us Barcalona and Spain. Our game would be transformed from one of sitting back and watching our opponents to one of possession, attack, consistency, youth and goals! Following yesterday's EURO 2012 match against Croatia, it's apparent Prandelli couldn't have moved further from his original plot.
We grabbed defeat from the jaws of Victory. Italy v Croatia was not a tale of two halves but rather a tale of two teams. The first half Azzurri v the Second half Azzurri. We came out yesterday determined to win; from some cheeky plays between Cassano and Balotelli; to even Marchisio ringing shots just wide, it seemed everyone in the team had arrived for this all important match. Going into the break we were up 1-0 on the Croats and life seemed a little clearer. Our objectives were being met; albeit the formation chosen for this match wasn't the best of ideas (more on that later) - the general consensus was the Azzurri had enough talent and clout to rewrite history and finally defeat Croatia.
The second half immediately was witness to a sudden turn of events. As the whistle blew Croatia began their valiant attack. They maintained possession and got dangerously close to goal. Threatening and menacing, the Croats couldn't relinquish possession to our midfield, who at this time decided to mentally check out. A further hole was created when T. Motta (a CDM and the closest thing on pitch to a 2012 version of Gattuso) was replaced with Montolivo. Once this substitution took place, service to the attackers became far more infrequent and our midfield began to look disjointed and in need of a fresh mindset. Croatian plays which were once being obstructed by Motta were now allowed to sail unobstructed. Modric began to show his worth in the Croat uniform and was allowed far more time to navigate. Seeing this Prandelli immediately decided that Balotelli was the issue and replaced him with "Hail Mary" Di Natale whose inclusion into the fold against Spain immediately resulted in a goal. On this evening in Poznan the effect the inclusion of Di Natale would have on the game would be to diminish our physical presence against the tallest and biggest team at EURO 2012. It would be a matter of moments that Croatia would score; that's to a misjudged defensive error by Chiellini.
1-1 would be the final result. In two games the Azzurri both managed to look more convincing then their opponent and more impotent then their opponent. Against Spain we managed the same feet of producing; then reacting to what the Spanish threw at us; while against Croatia we broke the fold in the first half, to only become completely subordinate to the Croats in the second half. Substitutions for DiNatale and Giovinco in this match were both reactive and lacked the vision to actually shore up our midfield when it was needed. Instead, today, we lay blame at the feet of players like Cassano and Balotelli; instead of harping on the real culprits.
Player Ratings
Buffon 5.5 Made some decent saves. But his clearances were always giveaways. When he should have held possession for a while longer he'd lob the ball forward and give it to a Croat. What did he expect against the tallest team in the tournament - especially when we had our micro machine lineup on the field.
Chiellini 6.0 Looked to struggle most of the match. The goal was in his error; however, with the amount of pressure he had throughout the match it was inevitable for them to score. Had to double up for a lacking Giaccherini.
Bonucci 6.5 Played give away as well. Wasn't as busy his counterpart Chiellini but was tasked with shoring up the defence. He did win most of the aerial challenges though
Maggio 5.0 Made runs deep; but was yet again uninspiring. Time to see what Abate's pace can do in this role.
Giaccherini 5.0 It's not his fault he was penetrated down the left side throughout the game. His small stature and lack of defensive skill was the perfect cocktail.
Motta 5.5 Did his job, was gritty and allowed Pirlo movement. That's his job. Got a yellow card and was subbed for a player who could tie his shoes.
DeRossi 6.5 Another gritty performance; But is being wasted at CB covering for slack play. Had moments though today where he nearly lost the ball in the box.
Marchisio 6.0 Had a few moments in the first half; but then disappeared from the start of the second half
Pirlo 7.5 Great Pirlo-esque goal. But when Motta disappeared and Marchisio's mind went absent he was pressured and became the culprit of giveaways and horrid un-pirlo-like passes.
Cassano 6.5 Had a decent game; played until about the 80th minute; looked tired at the end. Had some cheeky moves and one or two good chances. However, should definitely shoot more rather than lay in cheeky flicks to result in giveaways.
Balotelli 7.0 Took shots, held the ball, maintained possession. Showed composure and heart. I feel he's walking on eggshells with everything he does. Which doesn't allow him an opportunity to be himself in these games.
DiNatale 6.0 Came on and didn't do much; size is a factor; not to mention he looked exhausted 15 minutes into his journey
Montolivo 4.5 Why he was subbed for Motta remains a mystery, especially since we have Nocerino on the bench.
Giovinco 6.5 Was only on for 8 minutes but in that time he caused issues down the right, fought for balls, tried to gain possession... is Prandelli watching.
The Defence
It's apparent these are no longer the days of Maldini, Cannavaro (the lean years), Nesta, Zambrotta and Grosso. We do lack depth and talent in this position for the first time in recent memory. With this lack of depth we seemed determine to try and relive the success in this position from years gone by. Yes defence is a vital 1/3rd of the pitch. However this back line does not have the quality to hold an opposing team at bay. We find ourselves scrambling and flatfooted at times. There was no exception yesterday. Prandelli needs to do away with his philosophy that he can just replicate Juventus 3-5-2 success. First off, at the left back position or left win position Juventus did not rely on the fulltime exploits of Giaccherini. Instead they had players like Estigarribia and more importantly DeCeglie imposing their dominance on the left side of the pictch. Which makes me wonder; how would have DeCeglie performed in yesterday's match.
It's also pointless to start an imposing presence like DeRossi in defence. A player of his calibre is needed in the midfield to impose his dominance and help stave the pressure off of Pirlo. If Pirlo is our focal point - then certainly DeRossi must be our Gattuso and rip players off of Pirlo to allow movement.
Chiellini and Bonucci. Don't get me wrong I love Chiellini, he wears his heart on his sleeve. But I often wonder whether he is the right man to carry the mantal of CB. Is he really our end all and be all or should we start grooming a new man to play this predominant role? Astori or Ogbonna? Giorgio has been the centre of too many failed defensive cores for the Azzurri. EURO 2008, CONFEDERATIONS CUP 2009, WORLD CUP 2010 and now EURO 2012. Chiellini has been the man at the centre of it all. Is he at fault or have his dance partners been that bloody pathetic in those tournaments? Either way a change of philosophy needs to be imposed.
At RWB - Maggio has certainly earned his stipes against competition like Cassani. But in recent times, he's been poor. Surely there is merit to trying some new blood in this position. I'm of the mind we begin looking at Abate and then really give thought to grooming Santon as a permanent replacement - I love the kid and from what I've seen of him in England he can do the job.
The Midfield
Yes Pirlo is the focal point. But does this play us at a disadvantage? I mean, every team now knows block out Pirlo and they'll win. Surely it doesn't help that he is fanked by the ever inept Marchisio and Montolivo. The infatuation with these two has been a critical failure for Prandelli as manager. I some how suspect this will not change with a new manager's arrival. Change can only come if the media and public sentiment changes in the approach to these two. Marchisio gave a vintage performance yesterday. Vintage Marchisio is when he plays his heart out for 10 minutes; does some great runs and dribbles; has opportunities; and yet, disappears for the remainder of the 80 minutes. He finds himself all too often out of position; which then he turns around and claims to be played out of position by the manager; well what is your position then?
Montolivo is a walking catastrophe. How Milan went and invested time and money into this player is surprising. He's had the promise of the next Pirlo except without the deployment. His skill sets have diminished with age. Yet Prandelli and Italy continue to resort to this non-talent.
Who can we turn to? Didn't Candreva have a decent year? He was surely a big menacing player capable of playing a CAM role. But more importantly, what about going with Pirlo - DeRossi - Nocerino in our next match? Or better yet, some arrangement between Diamanti - Pirlo - DeRossi and Nocerino? Use players that are both intimidating, a little menacing and tactically sound.
The Attack
I venture from the conventional wisdom in the media here. Why should we rid ourselves of the first player since Vieri to play a Prima-Punta position and come back on defence, win balls, out dribble opponents and create an imposing figure up front. Sure he has yet to score at EURO 2012 - But he's getting closer by the minute. Balotelli is a player that should get all the playing time he needs. He should have played 180 minutes by now in this tournament for the Azzurri. How many opportunities have we given the likes of Luca Toni, Gilardino, Pazzini? Heck, in a year where he scored 30+ goals Luca Toni couldn't score at the WORLD CUP 2006 - until he scored twice against Ukraine in the Quarter Finals. Gilardino was even worse. Although he got off to a flying start Pazzini's well has also dried up. Aside from Pazzini, both Luca Toni and Gilardino had zero ability in opening the defence, holding onto the ball, or creating opportunities. Yet they were given years and years to prove themselves.
Balotelli is the future of this team, whether you like it or not. He will be here for a long time and he will improve. By benching him, moving him around, you're only hurting yourself in the long run. In a team where non-talents like Montolivo, Marchisio, Bonucci, and now Giaccharini are untouchables Balotelli should be considered a divine gift. I could understand if we had another imposing figure with his talent and better temperament; we don't. It's time to stop making him out to be a villan and start looking at him for what he is; the next 15 years of Azzurri attack. He hasn't diminished into the fray like the promising youth of Aquafresca and Macheda.
Cassano; has played very well in this tournament considering his near death experience. I would continue with him up front; but I wouldn't be scared of introducing Giovinco to help the cause. Here's my idea - Giovinco - Balotelli - Cassano. Giovinco in the 15 minutes he's played has impressed me. He has scrambled for the ball against players 15 times his size. Because he's a small figure, he can be difficult to defend against; which was demonstrated yesterday when towering figures would touch him Webb wasn't hesitant to give the foul.
Prandelli
He's been slow to adapt. His inexperience and lack of creativity during the game have cost us dearly. The team has been fatigued due to a lack of proper preparation and seems to already be in vacation mode which doesn't bode well. Prandelli would be wise in the next match to rest the players I've mentioned above and replace them with players looking to prove themselves (Nocerino, Giovinco, Diamanti, Abate, etc). His game plan has also been transparent to the opposing managers. In two games we could have easily walked away with 6 points total and been on our way to the Quarter Finals; however, because of a lack of execution and preparedness we are suffering mental anguish and fatigue. We had two scheduled exhibition matches; members of this team didn't arrive until only a day or two before the 23 man list was announced. Such are the issues that have plagued us. Although somethings like an earthquake were out of our control; I feel Prandelli could have been proactive enough to reschedule our missed exhibition match at another venue, even if it meant playing in a park. The Azzurri didn't need an audience, they needed to prepare.
He could have also done a Marcello Lippi and immediately silenced the media by saying " We will NOT be fielding any questions which don't concern the Azzurri and our on pitch performance" - Yet he allowed Calcio scandals, Gay rumours, utter irrelevant non-sense to creep into the camp. Everything we could have done without was allowed to fester and gain traction within the dressing room. I understand his transparency, but during a major tournament you cannot create controversy where there is no controversy.
For Ireland, I expect Prandelli to either sink or swim. I have faith a team like Spain will not go up against Croatia and engineer a 2-2 result. Spain are winners and they will try and come away with the result; so will Croatia. The Azzurri's fait will lay at their feet. If Prandelli employs the same tactics that we're used to against Trappatoni; them the Trapp will make us pay for a lack of creativity and we will likely lose. However, if Prandelli can some how find it in him to go out with an explosive performance with a lineup that merits on field participation; then and only then can we get a desired result. We need to take risks and we need the skill on the pitch to take those risks. That means ending the 3-5-2 formation; bringing back the best left back we have in Balzaretti; taking a gamble on Abate, Giovinco, Diamanti, Nocerino; and sticking to our guns with Balotelli - cause once he explodes the floodgates will be open.
If Prandelli cannot do this; then maybe it's time to make a phone call to Carlito - as he's the only manager right now with the experience and knowledge fit to manage the Azzurri. All else will be a circus.
Forza Azzurri Forza Italia
